The Death of Conlaoch
I have a story for you – Bàs Chiuinlaoich. In English, The Death of Conlaoch. It’s from
Scottish oral tradition.
When he was young, Cuchullin left Ireland. He came to Scotland. He came to the Isle of Skye. He learned fighting skills from the warrior queen Sgàthach. She was living in Dunscaith Castle. That’s in Sleat.
Cuchullin was a champion.
He had an amazing weapon. That was the gath-bolg, or fiery dart. While he was in Skye, Cuchullin got close to a Scottish warrior woman. She was called Aoife. She was expecting a child – Cuchullin’s child. But Cuchullin returned to Ireland.
He was going to return to Scotland. But he didn’t [return]. A boy-child was born to Aoife. He was called Conlaoch. Aoife received no assistance from Cuchullin. She was not pleased. She was going to exact revenge on Cuchullin.
The lad received training in fighting from his mother. Conlaoch had all the fighting skills except one. He didn’t learn how to
[how he would] use the gath-bolg.
Aoife made sure he didn’t have
that skill. She was wanting to
punish Cuchullin.
She asked Conlaoch to go to
Ireland and to bring Cuchullin
back to Scotland. But she asked
him not to tell anybody who he
was.
Conlaoch reached Ireland.
He met Cuchullin. Cuchullin asked
him who he was. Conlaoch refused
to tell him. The two started to
fight. Conlaoch was good at
fighting. But he didn’t have a gath-bolg. And Cuchullin defeated
Conlaoch with the gath-bolg.
When he was dying,
Conlaoch told Cuchullin his name.
Cuchullin knew he had killed his
own son. He was in mental
turmoil. That was Aoife’s revenge.
Bàs Chiuinlaoich
Tha stòiridh agam dhuibh – Bàs Chiuinlaoich. Ann am Beurla, The Death of Conlaoch. Tha e à beul-aithris Albannach.
Nuair a bha e òg, dh’fhàg Cù Chulainn Èirinn. Thàinig e a dh’Alba. Thàinig e don Eilean Sgitheanach. Dh’ionnsaich e sgilean sabaid aig a’ bhanrigh ghaisgeil, Sgàthach. Bha ise a’ fuireach ann an Caisteal Dhùn Sgàthaich. Tha sin ann an Slèite.
’S e treun-laoch a bh’ ann an Cù Chulainn. Bha ball-airm iongantach aige. B’ e sin an gath-bolg, no fiery dart. Fhad ’s a bha e anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, fhuair Cù Chulainn dlùth ri bana-ghaisgeach Albannach. ’S e Aoife an t-ainm a bha oirre. Bha i an dùil leanabh – leanabh Chù Chulainn. Ach thill Cù Chulainn a dh’Èirinn.
Bha e a’ dol a thilleadh a dh’Alba. Ach cha do thill. Rugadh leanabh-gille aig Aoife. ’S e Conlaoch an t-ainm a bha air. Cha d’ fhuair Aoife taic sam bith bho Chù Chulainn. Cha robh i toilichte. Bha i a’ dol a dh’fhaighinn dìoghaltas air Cù Chulainn.
Fhuair an gille trèanadh ann an sabaid bho a mhàthair. Bha a h-uile sgil sabaid aig Conlaoch ach aonan.
Cha do dh’ionnsaich e mar a
chleachdadh e an gath-bolg. Rinn
Aoife cinnteach nach robh an sgil sin
aige. Bha i ag iarraidh Cù Chulainn a
pheanasachadh.
Dh’iarr i air Conlaoch dhol a
dh’Èirinn, agus Cù Chulainn a thoirt
air ais a dh’Alba. Ach dh’iarr i air gun
a bhith ag innse do dhuine sam bith cò
e.
Ràinig Conlaoch Èirinn. Thachair e ri Cù Chulainn. Dh’fhaighnich Cù
Chulainn de Chonlaoch cò e. Dhiùlt
Conlaoch innse. Thòisich an dithis air
sabaid. Bha Conlaoch math air sabaid.
Ach cha robh gath-bolg aige. Agus
rinn Cù Chulainn a’ chùis air Conlaoch
leis a’ ghath-bholg.
Nuair a bha e a’ bàsachadh,
dh’inns Conlaoch ainm do Chù
Chulainn. Bha fios aig Cù Chulainn
gun robh e air a mhac fhèin a
mharbhadh. Bha e troimhe-chèile. B’ e
sin dìoghaltas Aoife.
